First and foremost, I want to express my excitement about joining The City Pulse! I have known Whitney for many years and have always admired her stellar work ethic and enthusiasm, so I am delighted to work together and bring something new to the area. You will be able to find my forecasts on the site, but you'll also be able to read about the more personal side of NorEasterNick. My life is an open book, but this is going to give me an outlet to share personal experiences and opinions with you!
I understand a lot of you may know who I am - and I am appreciative of that. Some of you, however, may NOT know who I am, so I figured in my first blog I would expand on my background a little bit.
I've been tracking this stuff since I was a young boy. I've had a passion for meteorology for as long as I can remember, and it's a rare thing that one knows exactly what they want to do for their career at a young age, but I am one of the lucky ones. From the very first time I crawled under my bed to hide from a thunderstorm, I knew exactly what I wanted to be - a Broadcast Weatherman.
I really can't believe it's been SO long. I started this journey over two decades ago doing with morning announcements in Brigantine.
I continued weather broadcasts at Hammonton High School and went on to get my first on-air job at 17 years old, doing weekends on NBC TV40. I eventually went on to lead the weather program at another local station. And now, I am currently leading the weather team for a station in the NYC market which will continue to move into South Jersey in the coming year. Basically a lot has happened in this short amount of time.
You’ll come to find I’m not your “typical” weather guy. I like to have fun with my work. I like to make people laugh while informing them. I’ll always have your safety as my top priority, but I believe it can be done in a way that’s engaging and interesting. I will never hype any situation, but will instead go with the “just the facts, ma’am” mantra.
A few facts about myself outside of weather? I am married to my best friend and camera guy, Brandon, we’ve been together for 6 years.
We have a beautiful little girl, Skye, and a cute little boy, Zeus. They're not human. We don’t really know what kind of dog Skye is, but Zeus is a Boston Terrier.
I’m a huge believer in “paying it forward”. I spend a lot of my time speaking at schools and civic clubs. I don't just talk about weather - I talk about life. You see, I didn't have it easy growing up. I was given away as a toddler. I was raised by my single grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was 12. I had to grow up fast. Learn to cook, clean, balance the budget and take care of her. I was forced to move in with my parents when I was a teen, and continued to fend for myself.
Because of my circumstances, I had to find a full-time job pronto. I started as a cart pusher at Hammonton ShopRite in high school and saw an opportunity to advance with the company. Within just a couple short years I was on the fast track to management. I climbed the corporate ladder at the same time I was at NBC TV40 doing what I REALLY loved. I just never thought it would grow into a career, so I stayed with ShopRite until given the opportunity to leave.
My story is different than most in this field as I didn't go to college until YEARS after the fact. I was given a full ride to Penn State, but I turned it down because I wanted to be close to my grandmother. I didn't like the idea of being far away. That didn't stop me from living out my dream though. When you have a PASSION for something, that will overcome every obstacle placed in front of you. Every time. I ended up doing my schooling on-line. Because, ya know... in the 21st century technology is amazing. I studied weather since I was 4 years old. I knew what I needed to know way before signing up for classes.
In my mid teens, I was surrounded by tons of negative energy, but I learned to bottle it all up and turn it into a fuel for success. I think it's very important to let people know that no matter what trials and tribulations one experiences, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
I am an only child now. I had a brother, Matt, who passed away in 2018 due to an overdose. We were close when we were kids but grew apart as time went on. He was a good kid. Smart, fun to be around - but he surrounded himself with less than desirable people. I helped him with rehab several times. It was never enough.
When I got the phone call in the middle of the night, I wasn't shocked. I always expected the worst when those calls would come in. I wish he was here so I could try to whip him into shape again. Because of his situation, my eyes were opened up to the epidemic we are facing as a country. Before Coronavirus happened I was planning a benefit in his name to support drug addiction research. We will do it once this is all over.
A few random facts...
1. I'm an extremely picky eater.
2. I don't like most foods.
3. The only cheese I'll eat is Mozzarella.
4. I've never had sour cream.
5. My favorite fruit is watermelon.
6. I'm an old soul.
7. I enjoy 60s, 70s & 80s music.
8. I love to travel and spend time with our dog, Skye.
9. I don't feel like I work a day in my life because I absolutely love what I do.
Oh! And here's a biggy... if I didn't go down the path I did, I would have become a locomotive engineer. When I was a kid, my grandmother used to take me to ride the train from Atlantic City to Philadelphia. I became very friendly with several conductors and engineers. They gave me bits of the uniform and let me make announcements and help collect tickets. I was in paradise!
To this day I'm obsessed with trains. In my office I built a pretty extensive model railroad display that is in constant construction. I just finished the Atlantic City Rail Terminal section.
A lot of my philly friends ask me "Why don't you come work here?" My answer is simple. I love to area I grew up in, I don't have anyone controlling what I do or say and I can help people HERE at home. It IS cool though after all the years watching my "idols" on TV, I am friends with them all. It's been a long journey and I am looking forward to MANY more years of delivering forecasts to you!
Feel free to ask questions anytime, I'm always here! I look forward to lots of interaction and engagement!